Time-controlled electric switch



July 30, 1957 c. a. SCRUBY TIME-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed. March 30. 1954 IN V EN TOR. Gfiar/es 6. flan/ y BY AWTOk/V 4 United States Patent TIME-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH Charles C. Scruby, Vincennes, Ind.

Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,766

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-35) This invention relates to automatic timers and has for its primary object the provision, in combination with a suitable timepece, of a switch having means of operable coupling with the timepiece for operation thereby.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a switch provided with clutch mechanism adapted forcoupling with a clock and particularly with.

a rotatable arbor of'the latter so that as the clock operates in the usual manner, the arbor will serve as the prime mover or drive shaft for the switch.

A still further important object of the present invention is the provision of a switch in combination with a clock or the like having means of attachment to the clock so as to prevent rotation of the switch with the arbor and with respect to the clock so that the operable mechanism of the switch is driven by the arbor.

Another important object of this invention and relating particularly to the type of timer chosen for illustration of the principles of the invention, is to provide a switch having adjustable rings engaged by a rotatable conductor that is rotated from the arbor of the clock through a suitable train of gears and shafts connected with the conductor and with the said arbor of the clock.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a timer showing the switch thereof operably coupled with a conventional alarm clock through clutch mechanism made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the switch entirely removed from the clock and having the lid of the switch removed.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 2 showing the cover in place and illustrating schematically the electrical wiring therefor.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 2.

While, as above set forth, it is the principal aim of the instant invention to design a switch that may be operably coupled with a conventional alarm clock or the like, one type of switch has been chosen for illustration of the principles of the invention and is broadly designated by the numeral 12. Such switch 12 includes a hollow body 14 preferably of insulating material in its entirety having a wall 16 that may be releasably secured thereto by fasteners 18 and a removable cover 20 held in place by a fastener 22.

Body 14 is shown equipped with a partition 24 that receives a rotatable sleeve 26 held in place by a split ring 28 and by a gear 30 both fixed to the sleeve 26. Sleeve 26 rotates on a pin 32 extending from wall 16, and it is to this pin 32 that cover 20 is attached by means of fastener 22.

Sleeve 26 is rotated by a drive shaft 34 extending through body 14 and provided with a pinion 36 in mesh with the gear 30.

2,801,306 Patented July 30, 1957 Body 14 has a continuous strip 38 of conducting material rigidly mounted therein and to which is attached a conductor line 40 joined to a female plug 42. Sleeve 26 is made of conductive material and a leaf spring brush 44 carried by the partition 24 in wiping engagement with the sleeve 26 is coupled with a male plug 46 by a wire 48. Plugs 42 and 46 are joined by a conductor 50.

A pair of non-continuous strips 52 and 54 are rotatably mounted within the strip 38 for sliding engagement therewith, it being noted that the strip or ring 52 is of insulating material, whereas strip or band 54 is of conducting material. Strip 52 is shown in engagement with the strip 38 throughout substantially its entire length and except only for one end of strip 52 that overlaps strip 54. Thus, strip 54 is in engagement with strip 38 only at that end thereof having a laterally extending fingerpiece 56 thereon. That end of the strip 52 that is disposed between the strips 38 and 54, has a similar fingerpiece 58. It is seen in Fig. 3 that the fingerpieces 56 and 58 extend outwardly beyond the body 14 between cover 20 and a beveled flange 60 on body 14 that is provided with timing indicia 62. A conductor arm 64 is mounted on the sleeve 26 for rotation thereby and is disposed in wiping engagement with the strips 52 and 54 to such extent as is dependent upon the adjustment made by manipulation of fingerpieces 56 and 58.

The motive force for driving the conductor 64 consists of the alarm clock 10 and particularly an arbor 66 that is conventionally provided with a knurled knob 68. Consequently, in order to provide a clutch connection be-' tween the arbor 66 and the driven shaft 34, the latter has a head 7$0 rigidly secured thereto. Head 70 has a frusto-conical socket 72 that tightly receives the knob 68 as best seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In order to prevent rotation of the switch 12 respect to the clock 10 when the latter is used to drive the conductor arm 64, means is provided for releasable attachment of the switch 12 to the clock 10. It includes a pin 74 having a suction cup 76 attached to the rearmost face of clock 10, the pin 74 extending into a boss 78 integral with the body 14 as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, and after attachment of the switch 12 to the clock 10 by wedging the knob 68 tightly into the socket 72 and by forcing the suction cup 76 into gripping relationship to the rearmost face of the clock 10, clock 10 is wound to operate in the usual manner.

As the arbor 66 rotates, driving force is imparted therefrom to the pinion 36, through head 70 and shaft 34. This drives the gear 30 and the sleeve 26 to rotate conductor arm 64 within the body 14 and particularly within the conducting strip 54. An electric circuit is established through the plugs 42 and 46 during rotation of the conductor arm 64 and while the latter is in engagement with the conductor strip 54. As soon as the conductor 64 moves into engagement with the strip 52 of insulating material however, the circuit will be broken. The length of time that conductor arm 64 establishes the electric circuit through the plugs 42 and 46 depends upon the initial setting of the conductor arm 64 and upon the relative positions of the strips 52 and 54.

The amount of the strip 52 that is exposed to wiping engagement by the conductor arm 64 depends upon the adjustments of the strips 52 and 54, i. e., the distance between the fingerpieces 56 and 58. Obviously, as the fingerpieces 56 and 58 are moved relatively and with respect to the strip 38, more or less of the strip 52 is exposed. By way of example, therefore, if the fingerpiece 56 is moved anti-clockwise, viewing Fig. 2, from the position illustrated, and away from the fingerpiece 58, to the indicia No. 7, a greater amount of the strip 54 is placed between the strips 38 and 52 and an increased thereby causing the arm 64 to revolve at the rate of' one. revolution each twelve hours. With. the beveled edge 60. of body 14 sub-divided into twelve parts by-'in dicia62, arm. 64'will therefore, travel from one indicia to the next indicia in one hour.

It. is again to be pointed out that the particular'type of switch shown in the drawing has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and itis clear that so-far" as the primary'aim' of the invention, i. e., the operable con-- nection with avsuitable time piece, is concerned, other" typesof switches, even to the extent of mechanical'rather than. electrical operation, may be substituted. in this connection, the operation-could-well be suchas to'causeringing of. a. hell or producing any other typeofsignal after .a predeterminedperiod of time as controlled" by rotationofa suitable actuatorthrough operable-connection with .the, rotatable arbor of a timepiece.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed" astnevv and desired: to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1.. Inaswitch adapted: tobe time-controlled through the setting knob of: a clock, ahollowbody; a sleeve of conductingmaterial rotatably carried by the bodythere-- within; av driveashaft. rotatably: carried by the body; gearmeans in .the. body operably interconnecting the drive shaft and the sleeve; a head on the drive shaft ex-- teriorly of the. body adapted for connection with said knob; means on. the body engageable with the clock for holding the body against rotation relative to the. clock; a conducting brush carried by the body therewithin in Wiping engagement with the sleeve; a continuous conducting strip mounted in the body concentric to the sleeve; a conductor wire connected with the brush and the strip respectively and adapted to be coupled with an electric circuit; a split ring of insulating material engaging the strip therewithin; a split band of conducting material engaging the ring therewithin and having one end thereof interposed between the ring and the strip in engagement with the latter; and an arm of conducting material secured to the sleeve for rotation therewith within the band and extending radially from the sleeve in engagement with the exposed-portion of theband for closing said electric circuit through the wires, said ring and said band being rotatable relative to the strip for exposing varying amounts of the band to the arm.

2. In a switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ring and the band are each provided with a fingerpiece extending outwardly beyond" the body for rotating the ring and the band.

ReferencesCited in the file of 'thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

